Blast furnace cooling plate holder



Nov. 1, 1955 o. B. ANDERSON ETAL BLAST FURNACE COOLING PLATE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 3 m 0 2 .r M 0 /d C h NA I Q 5 1 8 R8 m 0 M A Y B Nov. 1, 1955 o. B. ANDERSON ETAL BLAST FURNACE COOLING PLATE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 INVENTORS. OSCAR B. ANDERSON 0/70 BAN/(5' I JACOB-5,

their Attorney.

2,722,412 BLAST. FURNACE COOLING. PLATE HOLDER Oscar B; Anderson, Hobart, and Banks I. Jacobs, Crown Pint,-Ind.

Application September 22, 1954, Sen'aLNo. 457,674 10 Claims. (Cl. 266-32) This. invention is directed'to animproved assembly for mountingand holding cooling pla'tes in blast furnaces andthe like. More particularly; this invention relates to an assembly having provisions for sea-ling the openings ina blast furnace shell throughwhich the cooling plates extend against leakage and which is universally adaptable for use with cooling plates at any of the different furnace levels at which they are required.

To protect-the'stack lining of a blast furnace against overheating, circumferentially spaced water-cooled plates, commonly hollow copper castings having a water circulation path, are installed in the brickwork of the lining in tiers with the plates in adjacent tiers staggered relative to each-other. The cooling plates are embedded in the refractory brickwork of the furnace lining and are respectively positioned opposite openings in the furnace shell through which inspection for leaks and repairs is made. In addition to displacement by abnormal pressures within the furnace resulting from slips and'the like and a consequent reduction in cooling effect, the cooling plate holders should provide a seal against leakage of gas from the furnace and of water and air into the furnace through the furnace shell openings. If water is permitted to leak into the furnace, it will flow downwardly over the outer surface of the brick lining and eventually cause its destruction.

The provision of holders which will both seal cooling plates in the furnace shell openings and allow inspection thereof presents a troublesome problem because of fixed dimensional limitations inherent in conventional blast furnace constructions. A first dimensional limitation arises from the fact that the distance between the inside surface of the furnace lining and the furnace shell varies at different vertical levels because the shell has the shape of a truncated cone and therefore has a fixed slope while the inside surface of the lining has a slope designed to facilitate downward movement of the furnace charge which is usually different than the fixed slope of the shell. A second dimensional limitation is presented by the fact that the inner surface of the lining wears rapidly in the initial period after a furnace is put into opera tion and the cooling plates must therefore be embedded in the lining with their inner ends spaced uniformly in a radial direction from its inner surface so that the initial wear of the lining opposite each cooling plate will be uniform. Since the cooling plates all have the same length, these limitations result in their outer ends being spaced at varying radial distances from the furnace shell at different furnace levels which distances must be spanned by a. holder if it is to sealthe cooling plate in the furnace shell opening.

Conventional forms of cooling plate holders which provide an adequate seal about the furnace shell openings thus have had to be constructed in different sizes for use at different furnace levels. Moreover, such conventionalholders have had tobe, constructed, in different shape ai=- t m1 am a e amanner to be described,

holding the cooling plates against 2,722,412 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 changingradius of the shell at the different levels; While universal holders of the same size and shape for use at the different levels have been proposed, such proposals have required the use of cover-plates over the inspection openings to prevent escape of gas from the furnace thus interfering with daily inspections. In addition, such proposals have been deficient from the standpoint of providing an adequate seal against leakage of water into the furnace and of providing for expansion of the brickwork liningafter a furnace isplaced in operation.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved assembly for holding cooling plates in'position with respect to a furnace shell and which has universal characteristics such that it can be used for holding-cooling plates at different furnace levels in'addition to providing an adequate seal against leaks and for inspection of thecooling plate and its water circulating connections. To this end, the assembly of this invention comprises a hollow holder of tube-like construction having provisions at one end thereof for connection to the outer end'of a cooling plate and which projects through a furnace shell opening a distance determined by the relative position of the cooling plate with respect to the furnace lining and shell. The holder is mounted and positioned by a collar which is inserted through the shell opening and secured to the shell preferably by Welding. In the mounting collar extends through the shell opening a distance which is dependent upon the relative position of the outer end of the cooling plate with respect to the furnace shell. The hollow holder and its mounting collar have provisions attheir outer ends for sealing the furnace against leaks and for providing other features of a character to be referred to essential-to proper operation-of thecooling plates.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings there is shown a preferred embodimentof the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a blast furnace shell, the bottom of which is adapted to rest on the furnace mantle, showing the tiered and staggered arrangement of cooling plate openings therem;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view in the plane of the line II-II of Figure l show-ing a brickwork lining having cooling plates embedded theerin and mounting assemblies for the cooling plates constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 3 is anenlarged end elevation of one of the assemblies shownin Figure 2;-

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an end elevationalv view of the mounting collar used in the assembly of Figure 4; and

Figures 6 and 7 are end elevational and sectional views of one of the cooling plates, the sectional view being taken along thelines VI-VI of Figure 7 In Figure 2 of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the refractory brick stack lining of a blast furnace, the outer surface 2 of which is spaced inwardly from a steel shell .3 extending upwardly from a mantle 4. At vertically and circumferentially spaced intervals, staggered tiers of water-cooled plates 5 are embedded in the brickwork of the stack lining 1' to protect it. from overheating, Opposite .each; of the plates 5, the .shell 3 is provided .with an opening 6, The spacedrand Staggered arrangement of the cooling plates 5in the stack lining will be apparent from Figure l which shows the, openings 6.- respectivelyaifording access thereto from the exterior of the fu nace.

As best shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, each of the stapling plates 5,v ahollew sastinen Prefer b y; sonnet.

having a partition 7 separating it into two chambers having a Communicating connection 8 adjacent its inner end 9 and through which cooling water may be circulated. Its outer end 10 is provided with water inlet and outlet openings 11 and 12 through which water may be circulated through the chambers in its interior.

As best shown in Figure 2, the plates are installed with their inner ends 9 uniformly spaced from the inside surface 13 of the brickwork lining 1. The uniform spacing of the ends 9 with respect to the surface 13 is essential in order to assure uniform wear of the lining after the furnace is put into operation. When a furnace is first placed in operation, the surface 13 wears rapidly until a new brickline is established and which will have an undulating surface, the high points of which are directly opposite the ends 9 of the cooling plates. Since the shell 3 has the shape of a truncated cone and therefore a fixed slope while the surface 13 has a different slope designed to facilitate downward movement of the furnace charge, it will be apparent that the spacing of the surface 13 and shell 3 varies at different furnace levels. Since the plates 5 have the same length and their inner ends 9 are spaced uniformly relative to the surface 13, the plate outer ends are spaced at different distances with respect to the shell 3 as will be apparent from in inspection of Figure 2. The furnace structure thus far described is conventional and forms no part per se of this invention, this invention being directed to the assemblies, designated respectively as a whole by the numeral 14, for holding the plates 5 against movement relative to the shell 3 and lining 1.

The assemblies 14 are of identical construction and, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, respectively include a hollow holder 15 of tube-like construction and a mounting collar 16 which have oval shapes or contours corresponding to the shape or contour of the cooling plate 5 (Figure 6). At its inner end, the holder 15 has a necked-in portion 17 of reduced size in which the outer end 10 of a cooling plate 5 is received, a fireclay packing 18 being provided for sealing the plate end 10 in the holder end portion 17. Outwardly of the end portion 17, the holder 15 has an enlarged central portion 19 which projects through one of the furnace shell openings 6 a distance which varies with the spacing of the plate end 10 with respect to the shell 3. The outer end of the holder 15 has a peripheral flange 20 with vertically elongated bolt openings 21 therein for a purpose to be described.

Each mounting collar 16 has a flange 22 at its outer end with bolt openings 23 therein for the reception of bolts 24 by which it is fastened or clamped in sealing engagement with a holder flange 20. The body portion 25 extending inwardly from the collar 22 has a shape and contour such that it is received with a loose fit in a shell opening 6 and has a welded connection 26 about its external surface with the periphery of an opening 6 in the furnace shell. The body portions 25 of the various mounting collars are inserted through the openings 6 varying distances corresponding to the relative positions of the outer ends 10 of the cooling plates 5 mounted thereby. In a manner to be described, the collars 16 are welded to the shell 3 with their flanges 22 arranged for positioning and sealing engagement with the peripheral flanges 20 on the holders 15.

To hold the plates 5 against outward movement through the holder end portion 17, channel-shaped stops 27 are inserted through the holders 15 to positions with their inner ends abutting against the cooling plate outer ends 10. The outer ends of the stops 27 respectively have an opening for the reception of a locking wedge 28 which holds it against outward movement. The holder flanges 20 each have a pair of vertically spaced mounting legs 29 with aligned openings therein through which the locking wedges 28 are inserted to an operative locking position.

In -the use-of the holding assemblies 14 of this inh vention to installcooling plates in a blast furnace, openings 6 arranged as shown in Figure l are first cut in the shell 3. Collars 16 are then inserted in each opening to a position with their flanges 22 spaced from the shell 3 the proper distances for positioning the holders 15 and cooling plates 5 to be connected thereto so that the cooling plate inner ends 9 will be uniformly spaced from the inner surface 13 of the lining 1. As pointed out above, the spacing of the flanges 22 will be different at different vertical levels, and this spacing can be readily calculated in accordance with the predetermined position of the lining surface 13 with respect to the furnace shell 3. A weld 26 is then formed between the external surface of the collar 16 and the periphery of the shell opening 6 in which it is received to secure and seal the collar in position with respect to the shell 3. Holders 15 are then inserted in each collar 16 to a position with their flanges 20 abutting against the collar flanges 22. Bolts 24 are then inserted through the aligned flange openings 21 and 23 but are not tightened securely so that the flanges 20 and 22 may slide relatively to each other for a purpose to be described. As the refractory brickwork 1 is built up to the level of each holder end 17, a cooling plate is inserted through the opening centrally of the holder 15 to a position with its outer end 10 in a holder end portion 17. Fireclay packing 18 is then applied to seal the outer end 10 of the cooling plate in the end 17 of the holder as shown in Figure 3. The refractory brickwork is then built up around the cooling plate to the next vertical level or tier of cooling plates 5 where the assembly procedure is repeated. After each cooling plate 5 has been connected with a holder 15, stops 27 are inserted in the holders and locked in position by a wedge 28 as described above.

After the furnace is put into operation and while being brought up to operating temperature, the brickwork of the lining 1 will expand and move the cooling plates 5 upwardly, this movement being permitted by the bolts 24 and the vertical elongation of the slots 21 in the support flanges 20. When the refractory has dried and set, the bolts 24 are tightened to securely clamp the flanges 22 and 20 in abutting engagement and to provide a liquid and gas tight seal therebetween.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the holding assemblies 14 for the cooling plates 5 are of identical construction and can be used at any level. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that each assembly is effective to seal the opening 6 in which it is located against leakage. In this respect, it will be noted that the seal pro vided by the abutting flanges 20 and 22 together with the weld 26 between the mounting collar 16 and periphery of each opening 6 is effective to seal the opening 6 against leakage of gas into or out of the furnace. In the event of leakage of water through the circulating connections to the cooling plate openings 11 or 12, the fireclay packing 18 is effective to prevent such water from flowing into the furnace and dropping down on the exterior surface of the brickwork lining 1. Water leaking in this manner will be delivered by the tubular portion 19 to its outer end where it will drip down over the exterior surface of the shell 3 without causing damage and direct attention to the fact that repair is needed. It will also be noted that the central opening through the holders 15 is unobstructed so that inspection can be readily made from the exterior of the furnace shell of the operating condition of each cooling plate and its water circulating connections.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An assembly for'holding a hollow water-cooled plate embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with an opening therein affording access to said cooling plate comprising a collar secured in said opening, and a hollow holder extending through said collar and having a con "ection at its inner end with said cooling plate and a detachable connection at its outer end with said collar.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized by said collar having a welded connection with the periphery of the shell opening in which it is secured.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized by said holder and collar having peripheral flanges at their outer ends in abutting and sealing engagement with each other.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 characterized by said collar and holder flanges having aligned openings and fastening bolts extending therethrough forming said detachable connection, the openings in one of said flanges being vertically elongated to provide for vertical adjusting movement or" the support with vertical movement of the plate connected thereto in response to thermal expansion of the furnace lining.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized by the provision of a stop extending through said holder and having its inner end abutting against said cooling plate and its outer end provided with a connection to said holder for securing it against axial movement out of abutting engagement with said cooling plate.

6. An assembly for holding a hollow water-cooled plate embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with an opening therein affording access to said cooling plate comprising a collar having a welded connection about its external surface with the periphery of said opening, a hollow holder extending through said collar and having a connection at its inner end with said plate, said holder and collar having peripheral flanges at their outer ends in abutting and sealing engagement with each other, said flanges having a plurality of aligned openings for the reception of fastening elements and with the openings in one of said flanges being vertically elongated, and a plurality of fastening bolts extending through said openings for clamping said flanges in sealing engagement with each other.

7. An assembly for holding a hollow water-cooled plate embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with an opening therein aflfording access to said cooling plate comprising a collar having a welded connection about its external surface with the periphery of one of said openings, a hollow holder extending through said collar and having a connection at its inner end with one of said plates, said holder and collar having peripheral flanges at their outer ends in abutting and sealing engagement with each other, said flanges having a plurality of aligned openings for the reception of fastening elements and with the openings in one of said flanges being vertically elongated, a plurality of fastening bolts extending through said openings for clamping said flanges in sealing engagement with each other, a stop extending axially through said holder and having its inner end in abutting engagement with the outer end of the plate connected with said holder, and a fastener engaged with the outer end of said stop for holding it against movement with respect to said holder.

8. An assembly for holding a hollow water-cooled plate embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with an opening therein aifording access to said cooling plate comprising a hollow holder extending through said opening and having a connection at its inner end with said cooling plate, the outer end of said holder projecting outwardly from the furnace shell a distance determined by the position of the inner surface of said lining with respect to said shell, and means providing a detachable connection for the said outer end of said holder with said shell and for sealing said opening against leakage.

9. An arrangement of mounting assemblies for holding water-cool d plates embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with a plurality of openings therein respectively affording access to the cooling plates comprising a plurality of hollow holders respectively extending through said openings and having connections at their inner ends with said plates, the plural assemblies of plates and holders having the same length and the inner ends of said plates being spaced the same distance from the inner surface of the furnace lining whereby said holders project outwardly from the furnace shell varying distances determined by the distance of the shell from the inner surface of the furnace lining, and a plurality of separate means of identical construction respectively providing detachable connections for the outer ends of each of said holders with said shell and for sealing the shell openings through which the holders extend against leakage.

it). An arrangement of mounting assemblies for holding water-cooled plates embedded in the refractory wall lining of a blast furnace having a steel shell with a plurality of openings therein respectively affording access to the cooling plates comprising a plurality of hollow holders respectively extending through said openings and having connections at their inner ends with said plates, the plural assemblies of plates and holders having the same length and the inner ends of said plates being spaced the same distance from the inner surface of the furnace lining whereby said holders project outwardly from the furnace shell varying distances determined by the distance of the shell from the inner surface of the furnace lining, each of said holders having an outwardly projecting peripheral mounting flange at its outer end and a mounting collar having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange at its outer end in abutting engagement with said mounting flange, said collars being of identical construction and having their inner ends projecting through said shell openings distances varying with the spacing of the shell from the inner surface of the wall lining and having Welded connections with peripheries of the shell openings through which they extend, and detachable fastening elements clamping said abutting flanges in sealing engagement with each other.

No references cited. 

